For love is blynd alday, and may nat see.

So I've been poking at Chaucer of late (Don't ask) and because the internet is a wonderful thing, here be a journal article on that old bugbear, Love.


Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (2006) 361, 2173–2186

Personally, I think the research is a tad iffy, but it makes for interesting reading. ^^

Some highlights

"...The above data suggest that mammalian courtship attraction and human romantic love are associated with dopaminergic reward pathways in the brain..."

"...suggesting that mesolimbic dopamine pathways in the reward system of the brain play a role in the pleasurable feelings, focused attention, motivation and goal-oriented behaviours associated with romantic love..."

"...Romantic love is evidently stronger than the sex drive because when one’s sexual overtures are rejected, people do not kill themselves or someone else....."